BLACK WIDOW Director Cate Shortland Reveals Why Natasha Romanoff Didn't Receive A Funeral Like Iron Man

Like Iron Man, Black Widow made the ultimate sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame when she jumped from the cliff in Vormir in order to secure the Infinity Stones for Earth's Mightiest Heroes. However, while Tony Stark received a funeral with pretty much everyone in attendance, poor Natasha Romanoff seemed largely forgotten. 

In Black Widow's post-credits scene [SPOILER WARNING], we learn that the hero has been buried in the American Midwest, but we never actually got to see a funeral for the fallen Avenger.

Talking to Variety, Black Widow director Cate Shortland addressed that head-on, saying: "Scarlett talked to me about it: Her character would have hated a public funeral. So I felt like the fact that she’s buried in a really private place, in the boondocks somewhere, is perfect."

"I know the reaction that fans had to Scarlett’s death," Shortland continued. "The fact that we got to see that moment between her and her sister, it means that to me, she is eternal, you know?"

It's definitely interesting to get some insight into why the fallout from Natasha's death was handled this way, and it's clear that the plan is to expand on Yelena's feelings about Black Widow's demise in Hawkeye. There, Clint Barton will likely be shown struggling with her death as well, and that means the hero's impact on the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be felt for a long time to come. 

Hawkeye is expected to arrive on Disney+ later this year, of course, so we won't have too long to wait until we get to delve into the fallout from the first Phase 4 movie.

Keep checking back here for updates on Black Widow, including a breakdown of the best Easter Eggs later today!